Heartbreak House

morning, dear, before you make up. I hate the smell of powder. Lady Utterword Oh! you unfeeling⁠—She is interrupted by the return of the Captain. The Captain To Ellie. Your room is ready. Ellie rises. The sheets were damp; but I have changed them. He makes for the garden door on the port side. Lady Utterword Oh! What about my sheets? The Captain Halting at the door. Take my advice: air them: or take them off and sleep in blankets. You shall sleep in Ariadne’s old room. Lady Utterword Indeed I shall do nothing of the sort. That little hole! I am entitled to the best spare room. The Captain Continuing unmoved. She married a numskull. She told me she would marry anyone to get away from home. Ladt Utterword You are pretending not to know me on purpose. I will leave the house. Mazzini Dunn enters from the hall. He is a little elderly man with bulging credulous eyes and earnest manners. He is dressed in a blue serge jacket suit with an unbuttoned mackintosh over it, and carries a soft black hat of clerical cut. Ellie At last! Captain Shotover, here is my father. The Captain This! Nonsense! not a bit like him. He goes away through the garden, shutting the door sharply behind him. Lady Utterword I will not be ignored and pretended to be somebody else. I will have it out with Papa now, this instant. To Mazzini. Excuse me. She follows the Captain out, making a hasty bow to Mazzini, who returns it. Mrs. Hushabye Hospitably shaking hands. How good of you to come, Mr. Dunn! You don’t mind Papa, do you? He is as mad as a hatter, you know, but quite harmless and extremely clever. You will have some delightful talks with him. Mazzini I hope so. To Ellie. So here you are, Ellie, dear. He draws her arm affectionately through his. I must thank you, Mrs. Hushabye, for your kindness to my daughter. I’m afraid she would have had no holiday if you had not invited her. Mrs. Hushabye Not at all. Very nice of her to come and attract young people to the house for us. Mazzini Smiling. I’m afraid Ellie is not interested in young men, Mrs. Hushabye. Her taste is on the graver, solider side. Mrs. Hushabye With a sudden rather hard brightness in her manner. Won’t you take off your overcoat, Mr. Dunn? You will find a cupboard for coats and hats and things in the corner of the hall. Mazzini Hastily releasing Ellie. Yes⁠—thank you⁠—I had better⁠—he goes out. Mrs. Hushabye Emphatically. The old brute! Ellie Who? Mrs. Hushabye Who! Him. He. It. Pointing after Mazzini. “Graver, solider tastes,” indeed! Ellie Aghast. You don’t mean that you were speaking like that of my father! Mrs. Hushabye I was. You know I was. Ellie With dignity. I will leave your house at once. She turns to the door. Mrs. Hushabye If you attempt it, I’ll tell your father why. Ellie Turning again. Oh! How can you treat a visitor like this, Mrs. Hushabye? Mrs. Hushabye I thought you were going to call me Hesione. Ellie Certainly not now? Mrs. Hushabye Very well: I’ll tell your father. Ellie Distressed. Oh! Mrs. Hushabye If you turn a hair⁠—if you take his part against me and against your own heart for a moment, I’ll give that born soldier of freedom a piece of my mind that will stand him on his selfish old head for a week. Ellie Hesione! My father selfish! How little you know⁠— She is interrupted by Mazzini, who returns, excited and perspiring. Mazzini Ellie, Mangan has come: I thought you’d like to know. Excuse me, Mrs. Hushabye, the strange old gentleman⁠— Mrs. Hushabye Papa. Quite so. Mazzini Oh, I beg your pardon, of course: I was a little confused by his manner. He is making Mangan help him with something in the garden; and he wants me too⁠— A powerful whistle is heard. The Captain’s Voice Bosun ahoy! The whistle is repeated. Mazzini Flustered. Oh dear! I believe he is whistling for me. He hurries out. Mrs. Hushabye Now my father is a wonderful man if you like. Ellie Hesione: listen to me. You don’t understand. My father and Mr. Mangan were boys together. Mr. Ma⁠— Mrs. Hushabye I don’t care what they were: we must sit down if you are going to begin as far back as that. She snatches at Ellie’s waist, and makes her sit down on the sofa beside her. Now, pettikins, tell me all about Mr. Mangan. They call him Boss Mangan, don’t they? He is a Napoleon of industry and disgustingly rich, isn’t he? Why isn’t your father rich? Ellie My poor father should never have been in business. His parents were poets; and they gave him the noblest ideas; but they could not afford to give him a profession. Mrs. Hushabye Fancy your grandparents, with their eyes in fine frenzy rolling! And so your poor father had to go into business. Hasn’t he succeeded in it? Ellie He always used to say he could succeed if he only had some capital. He fought his way along, to keep a roof over our heads and bring us up well; but it was always a struggle: always the same difficulty of not having capital enough. I don’t know how to describe it to you. Mrs. Hushabye Poor Ellie! I know. Pulling the devil by the tail. Ellie Hurt. Oh, no. Not like that. It was at least dignified. Mrs. Hushabye That made it all the harder, didn’t it? I shouldn’t have pulled the devil by the tail with dignity. I should have pulled hard⁠—between her teeth hard. Well? Go on. Ellie At last it seemed that all our troubles were at an end. Mr. Mangan did an extraordinarily noble thing out of pure friendship for my father and respect for his character. He asked him how much capital he wanted, and gave it to him.